The Living Light
“...and Christ shall give thee light.” Ephesians 5:14
Volume 50, Number 9
First Friends Church of Whittier
Ninth Month, 2011
May We Be Wise And Well
Summer was a great time of travel, adventure and freedom. As
our idyllic moments recede into pleasant memories, Friends return
with renewed energy and optimism to the serious work of education,
business, and community and church activity.
An ambitious schedule of events for the coming months has
been laid out by the staff and committees of First Friends.
Sept. 7
Whittier Friends School reopens. Alicia Atkinson will
return as Preschool Director and elementary school teacher. Cassie
Caringella will be the school’s Acting Administrator.
Sept. 11
Meeting for Worship reverts to the normal 11:00 a.m.
schedule. The Worship Choir will return from summer break. At
9:30 a.m. adult and youth Sunday Schools will resume.
Whittier Friends at FUM Triennial
The Journey to Ohio
From July 27-31, five of our meeting’s
teenagers—Austin Allen, Olivia Allen, Emma
McIntosh, Jacy Purkiss, and I—attended the
youth session of the 2011 Friends United
Meeting Triennial. Our journey started with the
plane ride there, leaving Tuesday night at 11:00
p.m. on a “red-eye” flight. We arrived, very
tired, in Wilmington the next day and registered
for our session. That evening, after being
transported to the Quaker Knoll campgrounds,
we began to get to know the others, including
Bethany Marshburn from Maine, granddaughter
of Ted and Mary Marshburn, and the
missionary kids from Belize. We then went
back to Wilmington College for an ice cream
social, but returned to the camp for the first of
our nightly campfires. It was a full 36-plus hour
day and our journey had barely started.
The next day the triennial really began for
us. We ventured to Cincinnati to see the
Freedom Center, a museum dedicated to the
Continued on Page 3
Sept. 17
The Youth Fellowship groups will present a gala
evening of theater and hors d’oeuvres in Fellowship Hall at 6:00
p.m. This fundraising event will feature “The Will”, a mysterycomedy.
Oct. 1
The first-ever First Friends Wellness Fair will take place
in Founders’ Court. The Whittier community has been invited to
participate and will find exhibits and booths on health-related
themes. Friends are urged to support this novel outreach event.
Oct. 14-16 Friends will gather at Dana Point for the All Friends
Church Retreat. Scott Wagoner, a pastor in N. Carolina Yearly
Meeting, will lead the retreat.
Oct. 23
Whittier College Sunday. Rebecca OvermyerVelazquez, who teaches sociology at the college, will speak on this
important renewal of our historic ties with Whittier College.
Oct. 29
Annual pumpkin carving and game night will be held in
Fellowship Hall starting at 6:00 p.m. Bring Your Own Pumpkin!!
Nov. 19
An All-Friends workshop on clerking and committees is
planned by the Ministry and Counsel committee.
Friends will again participate in the Whittier area community
Thanksgiving service at the end of November and the Interfaith
Council Cold-Weather Shelter. Keep reading The Living Light for
notices and reports on all of the above activities.
— Bob Newton
2
Friendly Fare by Lea Wright
Dear Friends, It seems to have been a month of
reconnecting with absent Friends both on the road and
through correspondence.
Friends Visit: When Randy & Lynda Ullyott from
Atascadero visited Don & Shirley Votaw recently, the
family filled up an entire pew at church. Ron
Memmelaar’s niece Becky of Des Moines, Iowa visited
Ron & Becky and she brought two friends along, each
named Courtney. Ted & Mary Marshburn’s
granddaughter Meredith recently visited them from
Phoenix along with her mother. Ted & Mary visited their
daughter Carol and family in Maine after attending the
FUM Triennial.
Friends Travel: In July George, Carrin, Stacy, and
Matt Bouchard traveled to Presque Isle, Maine to visit
G eo r g e’ s
p a r en t s ,
Adrain & Leana
Bouchard. In July, Bill
& Marygene Wright
drove 3100 miles to see
family and friends in
Oregon and Washington.
They joined Allison &
Kirk Wright on the
coast at Nahalem Bay to welcome the Texas Wood
family, Betsy & Michael, Sarah, and Emily on their
return from a cruise to Alaska. They visited the Seattle
area for time with grandsons (who grew up in Whittier
First Friends) and families, Ben & Jen, Hannah and
Nelson Coop; Ted & Christina and Mary Coop. They
also attended University Friends Meeting. Time was spent
in the Portland area with Kirk & Allison. Worship at
Bridge City Meeting included a visit with active members
Chris Cradler (daughter of Jim & Liz Cradler) and her
husband Larry Ferguson. Homeward bound on the coast
highway, they stopped at Bandon, OR for dinner with
another former Whittierite, Susie
Cush (daughter of Martha Cush).
Susie loves hearing about First
Friends, enjoys The Living Light
and had it with her for a picture
with Bill & Marygene. Here they
are with the Living Light continuing
our tradition: “The Living Light
Travels.” (Rememb er , your
submissions are welcome and needed.) Marilyn Fant and
her sons David and Josh spent two weeks in Europe
seeing London, Amsterdam, and Rome. Rob & Sue
Settlage traveled to Disney World to enjoy a week with
grandchildren Alex (and his parents) and Maggie and
Robbie (and their parents.) Bill Ryder spent 6 weeks in
Iowa working on his father’s estate and visiting family
and friends. Back in California he and daughters Ashley,
and Katerina, attended the 111th annual Iowa picnic in
Long Beach. Ken & Joanne Camp drove to Roseburg,
OR in August with their daughter Colleen to visit some
former Lake Arrowhead neighbors. Friends About Town:
The August 3 issue of the Whittier Daily News ran an
extensive article about Ted Marshburn and his family
who have been involved in the medical profession in
Whittier dating back to 1903 when Dr. William Valentine
Marshburn moved his family to Whittier. In July the
Marshburn Eye Center celebrated its 50th year since Ted
opened his ophthalmology practice. Ted is retired, but
sons David, John, and Paul are currently carrying on the
tradition of practicing medicine. Jim & Carina Sass and
his mom, Helen and more than 800 other walkers took
part in “5K Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.” A
photo on Facebook showed them going over the old train
bridge at Whittier Blvd & Washington Blvd. Tom Van
Dorn has been doing platelets donations for 11 years. In
August Tom made his 600th donation. His daughter,
Tammy has recently joined him and made her third
platelets donation. Judith Austin and Alene Burke
recently appeared before Norwalk and Whittier city
councils to protest the proposed cancellation in September
of the Norwalk No.7 bus line, which has served Whittier.
A lot of changes are in store for Lyn & Frank Gruber.
Their eldest, Jon has joined the Navy and is currently at
bootcamp in Great Lakes, IL. Their daughter Karen has
moved to Huntington Beach to live with Jon’s wife,
Carrie, and to help with baby Jack during Dad’s time
away. Their youngest son, Jeff is moving to England for
two years, leaving for his adventure in September.
Friends Celebrate: Anthony Manousos introduced Jill
Shook at Meeting for Worship and announced that they
planned to be married in Pasadena in September. She has
written a book called Making Housing Happen about
faith-based affordable housing. Anthony has recently
edited a collection of articles by several authors, including
himself, called Quakers and the Interfaith Movement. He
has donated a copy to our library. Happy birthday to John
Basham who turned 85 in August. His daughter, Joy
Creelman wrote with an update, “We all have been long
time members of this loving church. Even though most of
us have moved away, this church will always be close to
our hearts. It has been almost a year since my Dad (John
Basham) was in a car accident that broke his back. He has
had 7 surgeries since then and has been in and out of
hospitals. We are hoping that he will come home again
soon and our family asks for continuing prayers.”
Special prayers to these Friends during difficult times:
Wendy Overin’s husband, Bill Rhodes died in August.
They had only recently retired and moved into a new
home in northern California.
Friends Sharing News: Help to keep the Friendly Fare
going. Email me a quick note and tell me your news. Send
to Lea at lealouw@gmail.com, by the 13th or deliver to
me at church on Sunday. See you next month!
3
Journey to Ohio continued…
Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery
movement. There was a lot of Quaker history
in the exhibits, and it was nice to see how the
principles of the Quakers were put into effect
to stop the injustices of the time. After
touring the museum, we attended a
Cincinnati Reds game. It was hot, probably
115 degrees, but a chance for us to get to
know our fellow Quaker teenagers. The next
two days we spent more time at Wilmington
College. We attended morning devotions,
took a campus tour, and visited the Quaker
Heritage Center. On Friday night we
volunteered at the local soup kitchen, a
meaningful experience for us all.
Saturday was by far my favorite day of
the whole trip. We started by going to the
FUM memorial service. Then Jacy Purkiss
and I were permitted to take some time to
look at the tri-fold presentations by Quaker
bodies, such as FCNL, FWCC, the Belize
Friends School, and Olney Friends School,
while the others were attending a workshop
of Grow Food Grow Hope, a local initiative
to better the community. We attended
meeting for business, where we got to
experience the “Quaker Process” in action.
We got to see Bob Secord nominated as
assistant clerk of the FUM Board for the next
triennium, and to approve the decision. Then
we welcomed a new yearly meeting into
FUM, and heard the new FUM General
Secretary, Colin Saxton, speak. After this, we
shopped at the Triennial’s global marketplace
and met people who have played a big part in
Quaker missions, such as Eden Grace. We
also attended the final session of the
Triennial. The next morning we said goodbye
to our new friends and left for Los Angeles.
Some of the highlights of our trip were
making new friends from around the world,
meeting other Quaker teenagers with the
same values, and sharing some very
interesting conversations. We also enjoyed
the various speakers, including Margaret
Fraser from FWCC, Sylvia Graves from
FUM, and Melissa Peagler, who wrote The
Lost Creek Saga, a book about Quakers in
Tennessee during the Civil War. Even though
we were happy to come home, we all had a
wonderful time at the Triennial and are very
thankful to the people of our meeting who
made it possible for us to go.
— Jasmine Sturr
Campers Learn To
Use Peace As An
Approach To Life
“I’ve never had to use my
armaments,” stated Whittier Police
Department Officer Bradley White to
an entranced group of 25 Peace
Campers assembled in Fellowship Hall.
Instead, Bradley and his fellow officers have usually been able to
restrain would-be trouble-makers by talking calmly and respectfully to
them. “This is the best possible means of control—the one we strive
for.” Bradley showed his police armaments, which included a
revolver, a taser (“stun gun”), a police baton, handcuffs and a police
radio. By request from the campers, Bradley demonstrated the action
of his taser (without the 50,000 volt beam attachment!). He followed
up his very pertinent Peace Camp message by giving the children
small model police cars and colorful booklets on the subject of
countering bullying without resort to violence.
Participants in the 16th annual First Friends Peace Camp, held
August 15-19, engaged in many enjoyable and stimulating craft
projects, including making peace kites, tie-dyed Peace Camp teeshirts, and peace-message bumper stickers. They heard the story of the
California boy whose bumper sticker private enterprise attracted the
attention of President Reagan and Secretary Gorbachev. Six-year-old
Tommy Tighe collected loans and donations to print his message
“Peace Please! Do It for Us Kids—Tommy.”
Campers also concentrated on concern for the less-privileged
members of society. They found out about the activities of the InterFaith Food Center in Whittier from Carlos Solarza, a volunteer worker
who visited Peace Camp one morning. Campers were impressed to
learn that the Food Center helps to feed 1800 low-income families in
this area. Carlos’ visit was followed up with a visit to the soup kitchen
at St. Matthias Episcopal Church, where supervisor Dottie Andersen
explained their meritorious service for Whittier’s homeless population.
One day campers made decorated cardboard “change banks” to collect
bus fares for people of inadequate income.
Following Officer White’s visit, the Peace Camp group paid a visit
to the Whittier police station, where they were cordially received by
Bradley White himself and given a tour of the facilities. They also
visited City Hall and the Public Library next door.
On the last day of camp (Friday the 19th) the group went to the
Whittier College athletic field to fly their peace kites (some actually
flew!). Then the campers, their parents, the Peace Camp organizer
Lynda Ladwig and her volunteer counselors all gathered in Fellowship
Hall to hear the campers relate their week of adventures and sing the
Peace Camp songs taught them by Russ Litchfield and Marilyn Fant.
Many volunteers helped put together this very successful Peace
Camp session. In addition to Russ and Marilyn, volunteers Judith
Austin, Cassie Caringella, John Healy, Becky Overmyer-Velazquez,
Barbara Sprague, Darrell Warren and Philip Wright gave generously
of their time and expertise. Former Peace Campers Austin Allen,
Olivia Allen, Raquel Allen, Jasmine Sturr, and Jasmine Warner
revived pleasant memories as volunteer counselors.
— Bob Newton
4
Bill Miller Sees Modern
Parallels In Jesus’ Three
Temptations
Visiting message-giver Bill Miller substituted in Meeting
for Worship on July 31 for Pastor Becky Memmelaar who
was in Ohio, attending the Friends United Meeting Triennial
sessions. A retired Methodist minister, Bill is well-known for
his ability to interpret stories from the Bible in terms of
modern human issues. His message centered on the
temptation of Jesus by Satan narrated in Matthew 4.
Bill sees modern parallels in the destructive impulses of
humans in quest of easy benefits. Jesus, though hungry after
fasting in the wilderness, resisted Satan’s challenge to turn
stones into bread. Humans today face an analogous
temptation to rely on synthetic materials, such as
petrochemicals, to create everything, even our food, without
regard to adverse consequences to our most precious
resources, soil and water. Bill admits that he participated in
the same neglect when he was growing up on his father’s
farm in the Central Valley—he and others used to dispose of
refuse in the local river.
Bill likens Jesus’ second temptation, to cast himself from
the temple top to prove his power over nature, to the reckless
pursuit of vain goals by so many people. Their mindless and
futile consumption of materials and energy shows lack of
concern for our fragile environment.
Finally, Satan’s offer to give Jesus great worldly wealth
and power was rebuffed: the earth and its treasures belong to
God. We should be merely the conscientious caretakers
thereof.
Bill served various Methodist churches as pastor in
Southern California and the Bay area before he retired in
1997. His subsequent career has been in serving the
community of Whittier. He is active in the Interfaith Council,
the U.N. Association, the Whittier Area Coalition for Peace
and Justice, and Transitions, an international movement to
convert the world’s waste-oriented economy to a sustainable
conservation-oriented basis.
— Bob Newton
Wellness Fair To Provide
Healthy Outreach
“Healthy Friends, a Wellness Fair for All Ages,”
will be held Saturday, October 1 in Founder’s Court
and Fellowship Hall.
More than a health fair, Healthy Friends will
feature a variety of interactive exhibits and
demonstrations presented by organizations from all
over the Whittier area. “We’re going to inform,
entertain and deepen our sense of community all at
the same time,” says planning committee clerk
Jamie Benjamin. “We’ll be sharing a wealth of
wonderful information focusing on health at all
ages, from children dealing with eating and fitness
challenges to parents and grandparents seeking
preventative and maintenance advice. It will be an
event we all can enjoy together, and we’re really
looking forward to this brand new outreach
opportunity.”
Exhibits and demonstrations will include
complimentary body mass index analysis, diabetes
and blood pressure checks, vision exams, local
urban farming, all kinds of exercise and fitness
demonstrations (including step and tai chi), healthy
cooking, mental health and stress counseling,
communicable disease prevention methods, bicycle
safety and organized ride opportunities as well as
sustainable food sourcing, including chickens and
other farm animals.
For this event, we are delighted to welcome the
American Friends Service Committee Friends Peace
Gardens, Santa Maria’s Children and Family Center,
The Whole Child, City of Whittier Public Health
and Community Services, local farmer Jollen
Sprawls and fitness teacher Becky English, Whittier
Wheelmen, and Uptown and East Whittier YMCAs.
Healthy Friends gets underway at 10:00 a.m.
and continues into the afternoon. Bring your family
and friends for a wonderful, healthy day of
fellowship with our community right in our own
courtyard!
— Elisabeth Graham
All Church Family Retreat
Save the dates October 14 - 16 for the All Church Family
Retreat that will be held at the Marina Inn at Dana Point.
Scott Wagoner, pastor of Deep River Friends Meeting in
High Point, North Carolina for 10 years will be our leader for
the weekend. He is an experienced retreat leader and we look
forward to having him with us in October. There will be a
separate program for the children.
The theme for the
retreat is: “Living Fully Alive – Exploring Personal and
Corporate Spiritual Transformation”. We will explore what
this means to us as individuals and as a faith
community. This will be a special time to get to
know others in our meeting better and to provide an
opportunity for spiritual growth. We look forward to
this retreat. More information and sign up forms will
be available in the church patio. Please plan to join us
for what we expect to be an enjoyable and fulfilling
weekend.
— Ted & Mary Marshburn, of the Retreat Committee
5
Senior Sneaks Tour
Mount Wilson Observatory
Two years ago, Don and Shirley Votaw started
planning a Senior Sneak to Mount Wilson. Then came the
worst wildfire in L.A. county history, and the Angeles
Crest Highway had to close for repairs. After it reopened
this June, the planning resumed and on July 28 a van full
of Sneaks finally made it to the Observatory.
Approaching the parking lot, we passed the television
towers which identify Mt. Wilson from below. Looking
down through a thin layer of haze from 5,700 feet we
could see the foothill towns a mile below. The midmorning temperature was 72.
Meeting us at the gate, our volunteer docent from
Pasadena, Nick Arkimovich, guided us along a pleasant
National Forest walking trail to the Astronomical
Museum, stopping to tell us a story about each dome and
tower we passed. We were relieved to see for ourselves,
after ascending past so many dead charred trees, that the
Station Fire of 2009 never reached the Observatory
grounds.
Mount Wilson was named for Benjamin David
Wilson (1811-1878), who came west in 1841 from
Tennessee intending to make his way to China. However,
he liked California so well he stayed, marrying to political
advantage. After living in the Riverside area, then serving
two terms as mayor of Los Angeles, Wilson became the
owner of much of today’s Pasadena.
The scientific community was well aware that the
mountains of California offered superior astronomical
sites. Mt. Wilson’s special virtue was its stable air, which
meant less “twinkle” in what a telescope saw. In 1889 a
team of astronomers from Harvard worked briefly with a
13” telescope on the peak now called Mt. Harvard, but
they abandoned their site after a winter of unusually heavy
snows. It was George Ellery Hale from Chicago (18681938) who made Mt. Wilson a major center for
astronomical research. Hale visited adjacent Mt. Wilson in
1903, and knew at once that he must have a solar
observatory there. He talked the Carnegie Institution of
Washington into funding its construction on 40 acres of
Mt. Wilson mountain-top leased from the Toll Road
company for 99 years. Management passed in 1989 from
the Carnegie Institution to the newly formed Mt. Wilson
Institute. In 2003, the Observatory’s 99-year lease was
renewed by the Forest Service, which currently owns the
land.
Hale moved west to be director at Mt. Wilson and
held that position until 1923. Although he became an
authority on the sun, credited with many discoveries, our
docent believed Hale’s greatest talent was in “getting
money out of rich old men” for his projects. Many other
astronomers have done notable work at Mt. Wilson, the
most famous among them Edwin Powell Hubble (18891953) for whom the modern telescope in space was
named. In the 1920s he measured distances to other
galaxies, “connecting the dots” to prove that the universe
was larger than our Milky Way and that it was expanding.
Also notable was work of German astronomer Walter
Baade, who made significant discoveries on Mt. Wilson
during World War II while under house arrest as an
enemy alien.
Our docent took us inside the dome and up three
flights of stairs for a close-up look at the 100-inch Hooker
reflector telescope, completed in 1917 and named for a
donor. This is considered one of North America’s most
“historically important” telescopes. It was the world’s
largest until 1948 when a 200-inch one started by and
named for Hale was completed for Cal Tech’s Palomar
Observatory in San Diego County. Today, astronomers go
to the Chilean Andes to use the newest and largest
telescopes. But the Hooker is still in use and has been ever
since 1917 except for the management transition years of
1985-1989. Viewing is best when low cloud cover and the
inversion layer that traps the smog block out the urban
light pollution.
Astronomical research
also continues using Mt.
Wilson’s other instruments,
which include the 1904 Snow
solar telescope; the 1908
USC solar telescope; the
1910 telescope used by
UCLA’s solar cycle project;
and a the 1908 60-inch reflector telescope. Operational
since 2002 is Georgia State University’s CHARA Array,
the world’s largest optical interferometer, measuring the
size and luminosity of stars in our galaxy.
If you missed this tour, or want another, a two-hour
public tour is given at 1 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday,
April through November. The tour starts from the pavilion
above the parking lot, where a National Forest Adventure
Pass is required. The Cosmic Café with souvenirs to sell is
open weekends, and there are picnic tables nearby.
—Sabron Newton
6
I Am Whittier Friends
School—Part 3
WFS Gets Ready for Fall
Whittier Friends School students, parents, and teachers
brought their cleaning supplies and elbow grease for the
annual back-to-school work day on Saturday, August 13.
The participants were Jennifer, Glenn, and Jim Tucker;
Elise, Anathea, and Brendon Woirhaye; Chloe Krebs and
Monica DeLise; Candice and Ashley Ryder; Dale Karr,
Cindy Edmunds, Cassie Caringella, Alicia Atkinson, and
Sara Cooper.
This year they really had their work cut out for them as
it was the last day for repair and repainting of the preschool
room to fix the damage from the unfortunate hit-and-run
accident in the parking lot behind the Christian Education
Building on May 5th. Much of the work was centered on
cleaning the preschool furniture, books, and toys to allow
the teachers to move back in the next day and resume
summer session class on Monday, August 15. During the
work, preschool was held in the Sharpless Building.
The elementary classroom furniture also got scrubbed,
and the sink and counter were cleaned and organized. The
work was followed by a pizza lunch and parent meeting to
preview the highlights of the upcoming year.
Earlier in the summer, the playground wood chip
ground covering had been replenished. After a
disappointing day waiting for a delivery that never came
the previous week, 90 bags were dropped off the morning
of July 25. On hand to help were Milton, Dan, and Philip
Wright; Cassie and Landon Caringella; Brad Harmer,
Alicia Atkinson, and Candice Ryder. They toted the bags
and used rakes to evenly spread the new chips. The
sandbox sand has also been refilled, so the playground is
ready for another year of use.
The fall term at WFS starts on Tuesday, September 6
for preschool and Wednesday, September 7 for elementary
school. Anyone interested in volunteering to help in the
office, classrooms, or on special projects is welcomed and
appreciated. Contact Cassie Caringella or Alicia Atkinson
at 562-945-1654.
— Candice Ryder
At age 16, Jasmine Warner has a bright future
ahead of her, but also already has many
accomplishments of which to be proud. She recently
contacted Lynda Ladwig to offer to volunteer as a
Junior Counselor for Peace Camp. Jasmine attended
Whittier Friends School from Kindergarten through 3rd
grade and said she wanted to “get back to her roots” by
helping out. She said the philosophies of Peace Camp
and WFS are similar with goals of helping the world,
respecting others, and of course, teaching about peace.
She remembers her years at WFS fondly, saying
that the teachers really made learning fun. Her favorite
part was the use of arts-and-crafts as part of the
learning process. She is a talented and accomplished
artist now doing painting, sculpting, and drawing. She
even had her work featured in an art show at age 9 and
attributes her current love for art to that early
encouragement. She says the teachers also helped the
students develop their performing arts skills. When
asked to recall a vivid memory from those days, she
cited the performance of “A Christmas Carol” in
Fellowship Hall.
Jasmine also remembers her teacher Jeanne Love
and classroom aide Alice Martin with great fondness.
She says, “Alice really got me into art, but sadly, she
died of cancer. I went to her funeral. It was really sad.”
Jasmine feels it was that early foundation of making
school fun that accounts for her current school success.
She attends California High School where she takes AP
and
Honors
classes; her foreign
language is Latin.
Jas imin e
ha s
played the flute for
the past five years
and is a member of
the school band.
She still keeps in
touch with five or
so of her friends
from her WFS
days. Jasmine also does a lot of volunteer work and
states, “Whittier Friends School was a great transition
for me, not only as a student, but in life as well.”
WFS is trying to build an alumni list, so if you or
anyone you know attended Whittier Friends School,
even for a short time, kindly send your contact
information to us at: whittierfriendsschool@gmail.com
or call 562-945-1654.
— Candice Ryder
First Friends in Action
S eptember 2011
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
10:00 a.m. Meeting for
Worship
5
6
7
6:30 a.m. Quaker Men
6:30 a.m. Spiritual Growth
Group
8
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
9
10
11
9:30 a.m. First Day School
11:00 a.m. Meeting for
Worship
12:15 p.m. Monthly Meeting
12
10:00 a.m. Quiltmakers
1:30 p.m. Writing Your
Memoirs
13
14
6:00 p.m. AFFN
Friendly Fare Deadline
6:30 a.m. Quaker Men
6:30 a.m. Spiritual Growth
Group
7:00 p.m. M&C
15
The Living Light Deadline
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
16
17
6:00 p.m. Dinner Mystery
Theater — Youth
Fundraiser
18
19
9:30 a.m. First Day School
1:30 p.m. Writing Your
11:00 a.m. Meeting for
Memoirs
Worship
12:15 p.m. Committee Clerk
Meeting
20
21
6:30 a.m. Quaker Men
6:30 a.m. Spiritual Growth
Group
9:15 a.m. Trustees
22
Senior Sneaks
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
23
24
10:00 a.m. Rio Hondo
Symphony Guild Concert
Preview
25
9:30 a.m. First Day School
11:00 a.m. Meeting for
Worship
27
28
6:30 a.m. Quaker Men
6:30 a.m. Spiritual Growth
Group
29
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
30
26
10:00 a.m. Quiltmakers
1:30 p.m. Writing Your
Memoirs
October 1
10:00 a.m. Healthy Friends
Wellness Fair
7
8
Lavelle Basham
Mary Boltz
Helen Borg
Dorothea Boyd
Joanne Camp
Landon Caringella
Anne Eggleton
Martha Fopiano
Lyn Gruber
Randy Hays
Sharon Huffaker
Bonnie Lowenstam-Grace
Preston Mitchell
Susanne Mitchell
Esther Nelson
Alpha Overin
Lea Thirkettle
Ella Tiffany
Julie Urner
Mindy Van Dorn
Christopher Votaw
Gwen Woirhaye
Mahlon Woirhaye
David Wright
Our apologies and happy birthday to
August Birthday Friends
John Basham and Philip Wright.
If we’ve missed your birthday, we
apologize (and happy birthday)! We’re
working hard to keep our lists up-to-date
so please continue to help us out.
9
Friends Enjoy Summer
Ice Cream Social
The Easy Puzzle was done in an hour. The
Hard Puzzle didn’t get finished. Many games
were played. Large quantities of ice cream were
consumed. 30 Friends had a grand time at our
traditional summer Ice Cream Social in
Fellowship Hall on August 13.
Donna, Marygene, Milton, and Philip of the
Wright family assembled the beautiful 300-piece
“Greek Isles” jigsaw expeditiously while Bill
Ryder, Don and Shirley Votaw, Gary
Wemmerus, and Dan Wright tackled the colorful
but confusing 1000-piece train-yard called
“Whistle-Stop!”
Meanwhile, Dottie Andersen, Mindy Van
Dorn, Tammy Van Dorn, and Leah Wright
matched wits in the demanding game of
“Scattergories” where contestants get points for
original responses in quiz categories of people,
places, sports, etc. Tammy showed why she is an
honor student going into her third year at Mount
San Antonio College.
Judith Austin challenged Sabron Newton to
“Rummikub,” a game with complex strategy and
scoring. Judith, an acknowledged master at this
game, swept two matches before quitting time.
“Mexican Train Dominoes” occupied
Teresa Ford, Diane Wemmerus, Brendon
Woirhaye, and Philip Wright. Philip, who knows
how to do everything, had to coach the others in
this convoluted version of a familiar game. Lara
Wemmerus and Anathea Woirhaye took time
away from their improvised exercise gym to
participate.
Gamesters and puzzle-builders periodically
returned to the treats table to replenish their icecream dishes. A splendid array of toppings was
contributed by attendees: nuts, berries, chocolate
and caramel bits, syrups of various kinds. One
browser inadvertently topped his ice cream with
a colorful salsa that was present in the syrup
line-up!
By the 9 p.m. closing time, the 1,000-piecer
was in a state of several sizeable but mutually
unconnected areas. The assembled portions and
remaining pieces were carefully laid away in
their box pending resumption on New Years
Eve.
Participants in the Ice Cream Social
expressed their gratitude to Dan and Leah
Wright for the lovely evening of fellowship.
— Bob Newton
JHF/YFF Fellowship Summer
Retreat Held in Mountains
On August 12th at 2:30 in the afternoon an excited group of
junior high and high school youth gathered in the church parking
lot for a weekend retreat to the Woirhayes’ cabin at Green Valley
Lake. They were Austin Allen, Olivia Allen, Raquel Allen,
Katerina Ryder, Isabella Sturr, Jasmine Sturr, Weston Van Dorn,
and Cedric Woirhaye. We were chaperoned by Lynda Ladwig,
Mel Sturr, and Deanna Woirhaye. After stopping for pizza and
arcade games, the group arrived at the cabin before sundown. The
excitement was very high on that first night.
On Saturday, the group headed up to Big Bear Village for
shopping and a stroll. After returning, everyone was ready for a
hot dog lunch. Next it was time for paddle boating and a swim in
Green Valley Lake. For the evening devotion Lynda asked us to
name all of the animals that we remember being in a box or bag
of animal crackers. Then she gave us a bag of the cookies so we
could see what we got right or wrong. After some discussion
about our skill in eating and describing the animal crackers and
the packaging, she asked us to think about our experience with
the Bible. Is it easier to describe the packaging than the contents?
Lynda asked us to recall our favorite part of the Bible and asked
us to think about what the Bible means to us. Since the boys fixed
lunch, the girls made dinner. The evening ended with a view of
the meteor shower. In the morning, a tired but happy group
returned just in time for the meeting’s silent worship time.
— Katerina Ryder
Clerking Workshop
Save the Date of November 19th for a Quaker Clerking
Workshop. Learn how to make Quaker meetings work for
everyone, not just for those clerking. Accomplish more in less
time when everyone is working together. Look for more
information in the next issue.
— Sue Settlage
10
Campers on Field Trip to the Vedanta Temple
WFS Day Campers Learn About
India And The Mayans
Did you know that salsa was invented by the ancient
Mayans? They called it “xni pec” (pronounced “shnee peck.”
Sounds spicy!) Whittier Friends School students and their
guests from the community learned to appreciate the cultures of
Meso-America and India at the second annual WFS Summer
Day Camp, held August 1-12.
Day campers made salsa and bonda (Indian fried banana
tidbits), hand-printed saris, tie-dyed tee-shirts, and wove Mayan
comfort-fetishes on hand-made cardboard looms. They went on
field trips to the Vedanta Temple in Hollywood and to the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art to look at art objects made by
the Mayans and other Meso-American civilizations. Justine
Whitehead brought an Indian video movie about a superhero
named “Krrrish.” Both week-long sessions ended with plays.
On Friday August 5, the campers, attired in their handcolored saris and tee-shirts, presented a classical drama, known
to all children in India, about the heroine Princess Savatri who
saved her husband from Yama, the god of death. The story
from the Mahabharata was narrated by Anathea Woirhaye and
Katerina Ryder. Beautiful and good Savatri, played by Ashley
Ryder, was born to a worthy but childless king (Cedric
Woirhaye) and queen (Lara Wemmerus). When it came time to
find a husband for her, no man worthy enough could be found,
so Savitri herself went in search of one. The good and
handsome man she found was a respected prince, but she was
told by the fortune-teller Narada (Shreeya Dhawal) that he
would die within a year. Undaunted, Savitri married the prince.
After a year, the dreaded Yama appeared and claimed Prince
Satyavan (played by teacher and coach Alicia Atkinson).
Refusing to be intimidated, Savitri pursued Yama and his
captive so relentlessly that, just to get rid of her, he agreed to
release her husband, and, moreover, promised them a baby heir
forthwith.
On Friday August 12, twelve campers again took to the
Fellowship Hall stage, this time performing the classical Mayan
creation story “Why There Is No Arguing in Heaven.” When
the creator god Hunab Ku (Avon Dhawal) announced that he
was going to make an earth and populate it, there
was great bickering in heaven among the other gods
and goddesses about who should play important
roles in the creation. The older campers served as
narrators to describe the actions of the Sun
Goddess, the Moon Goddess, the Rain Gods (chacs)
and the other characters, who acted out their roles
in mime. Because of his virtue and intrinsic power,
the Maize God showed himself to be the favored
deity (second only to Hunab Ku), and so bestowed
his great gift of nutrition on the new people of
earth. That put an end to all acrimony.
The WFS day camp was a great learning
experience for the twelve participants owing to the
skill, energy and enthusiasm of organizers Alicia
and Cassie Caringella.
— Bob Newton
Whittier Friends School —
“Pain-Free Fundraising”
The following programs help our school raise
funds while causing you as little “pain” as possible.
Every time you shop at your usual stores, we get a
percentage!
Target — enroll your Target Red
Card to their “Take Charge of
Education” program on www.target.com/
tcoe and we get 1% of your Target
purchases.
Ralphs — enroll your Ralphs card
in t he “ Ra lp hs Commu nit y
C ont r ibut i on P r ogr a m” on
www.ralphs.com and we get 1% or more of your
Ralphs purchases
Staples — tell them our phone
number 562-945-1654 when you
check out and your purchase will
go toward free school supplies for
our students.
Fresh & Easy — turn in
receipts with a total of $20 or
more dated from September 15,
2011 through December 31, 2011
and we will get $1 per receipt
Don’t shop at any of the mentioned stores?
Purchase Scrip (gift cards) for the stores at which
you do shop. These gift cards aren’t just for gifts.
Purchase cards for groceries, restaurants, vacations
and gas stations!
— Cassie Caringella, Acting Administrator WFS
11
Becky’s Byline
Last year I attended a
conference called “Big Tent
Christianity.” Phillip Clayton
and Tripp Fuller cosponsored
this event. As many of you
recall Philip is a Quaker from
Claremont Friends and a former
dean of theology at Claremont
Theological School. (Currently,
he serves as vice-president of
academic affairs and dean of the
faculty at CTS). He spoke to us
last year during meeting for worship. Clayton described Big Tent
this way: “‘Big Tent’ evokes the image of the revival tent that
folks used to set up just outside of town. Here differences were (in
theory) set aside while people sought transformation and a new
direction in their faith… ‘Big tent’ is also a prophetic challenge to
the rancorous debates and condemnations that are the public face
of religion today.”1
While there were numerous speakers and many of them
renowned theologians of our time, the words that struck me were
offered by my classmate and friend from divinity school days,
Tripp Fuller. (Tripp is currently working on his PhD in theology
at Claremont Theological School and youth pastor at
Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes Estates). Tripp talked to us
about his faith journey. He said: “if we’re going to do Big Tent
Christianity it has to be inclusive of every version of you as
you’ve attempted to follow Jesus.” For example, Tripp said that
he grew up as a Baptist preacher’s kid singing hymns and loved
them until he discovered that “you could play guitars and praise
Jesus at the same time.” As he has grown and studied and some of
his beliefs have changed, he recognized that there was no point in
his life where he was outside the love of God.
Tripp’s words struck home with me, because I, too, have
studied, grown, and changed in my understanding of God. I grew
up in a Quaker parsonage. I’ve worshiped with people from a
variety of faith traditions. I recognized years ago that I was
Quaker not because of my grandparents, parents, or by tradition,
but because of my own convictions. My understanding of God
was experiential, rather than through spoken creeds, liturgy, or
music.
My exposure to people was deepened as a flight attendant.
My co-workers were from a variety of faith traditions, with a
variety of political perspectives, and with differing sexual
orientations. Sometimes I feel that the most important ministry
I’ve participated in was sitting on the jump seat along side people,
as we shared our stories. Having been a flight attendant certainly
keeps me from being easily shocked.
For over a year, I have been thinking about this idea of Big
Tent Christianity, and thinking about my own understanding of
Big Tent Quakerism. If I were going to build a Big Tent
Quakerism, or a place for spiritual transformation where we could
set aside differences, I’d need to include all of my past selves —
the young child who grew up in a Quaker parsonage, a divorced
Pastor Becky Interprets
Beloved Bible Narratives
Meeting for Worship at First Friends Church
was a unique experience this summer. The
familiar stories of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob,
Leah, Rachel, Reuben, and Joseph were told in
narrative as Becky Memmelaar, dressed in period
costume, impersonated characters from the Book
of Genesis. Becky interpreted their attitudes,
conflicts and inspirations as real people, with
insight and acting skill that transported
worshippers.
The worship messages
were delivered in reduced
l i g h t i n g b es i d e a
simu lat ed ca mpf ir e.
Michael Elliot and Dan
Wright created the
amazing facsimile from
f la me- s ha p ed c l ot h
fluttering in an air stream
over colored lights. The
congregation gathered close in the front pews, as
if around the campfire, and some of the children
sat close on the platform.
Lasting images will remain of the summer
worship of 2011.
— Bob Newton
single parent, a flight attendant, and a selfacclaimed Bible nerd. My Big Tent would need to
include myself as a conservative who is never
quite conservative enough to be considered
conservative nor liberal enough to be considered
liberal. I’d want a tent big enough to include my
friends with differing political views, religious
understandings, and lifestyles, because I don’t
believe that there was a time in my life or theirs
where we stepped outside the love of God.
My understanding of faith is through the lens
of the Quaker understanding that there is that of
God in everyone. My understanding of my calling
as a pastor is not as the gatekeeper of heaven or
hell. My understanding of ministry is that I am
called to preach the radical love and hope of Jesus
to one and all; this is my idea of Big Tent
Quakerism and the tent I hope to pitch.
1
Clayton, Philip. “Seeking Common Ground in ‘Big Tent’
Christianity.” Huffintonpost.com. Web. 17 Aug. 2011.
<http://www.huffintonpost.com>
12
The Living Light
First Friends Church
13205 Philadelphia St
Whittier, CA 90601–4303
Return Service Requested
Periodicals
Postage Paid at
Whittier California
The Living Light
USPS 316-320
Issue Date: September 1, 2011
The Living Light is published by First Friends
Church, 13205 Philadelphia Street, Whittier, California, 90601-4303. Periodical postage paid at Whittier,
California. Send address changes to First Friends
Church at above address.
Becky Memmelaar .........................Pastor
Bob Newton...................................Editor
Mary Raymond ...............Advising Editor
Lynda Ladwig.........................................
..............Christian Education Coordinator
Russell Litchfield ....................................
......... Dir of Music Ministries & Organist
Mary Boltz.............. Office Administrator
Lorenzo Mora ..........................Custodian
Telephone 562-698-9805
FAX 562-698-1127
www.firstfriendswhittier.org
Whittier Friends School Staff
Marie Kaneko ... School Committee Clerk
562-945-1654
Sneaks Plan to Ride Balloon
Senior Sneaks could be a lot of fun Thursday September 22 if you come. We have
reserved a time to ride the balloon at the Great Balloon Park in Irvine. It is very safe
and we go up in the air 400 ft. The view should be great; it spans up to 40 miles. After
our balloon ride we’ll head down to our favorite picnic spot in Dana Point. Everything
will be provided – chicken, potato salad, a vegetable salad, things to drink, and
cookies for desert. What could be better than food, fun, and friends?
All you need to do is meet in the church parking lot promptly at 8:45 a.m. Better
bring a sweater just in case, and a little money to help pay for the chicken. Just call
Shirley Votaw to save a spot. Hope to be back by 2:30 p.m.
AFFN Begins Season of Gatherings
On Wednesday, September 14, Ted and Mary Marshburn, Bob Secord, and others
who attended the Friends United Meeting Triennial sessions at Wilmington College in
Ohio will talk briefly about the conference and more about some of the projects and
new developments around the world especially in Kenya, including “Seeds for
Peace.”
We will meet in Fellowship Hall for dinner at 6:00 p.m. with the program to
follow from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.. This month will be a ‘complete pot luck’ dinner. Sign
up in the church patio to bring a main dish, salad or dessert. Drinks and bread will be
provided. Please bring $1 per person and food to share or $3 per person if you don’t
bring food. Please come. All are invited.
— Ted Marshburn
Please
remember in
prayer
those Friends
unable to
worship with
us regularly.
Peggy Anderson
John Basham
Arden Bode
Audine Coffin
Monica Dean
Ruth Esther Durham
Gerry Jansen
Trudy Kurth
Esther Morris
Alice Newsom
Alice Rosenberger
Ami Troedsson
Mary Wanner